William A. Johnson Jr. facts for kids

William A. Johnson Jr. (born August 22, 1942) is an American politician. He served as the 64th Mayor of Rochester, New York. He was the first African-American mayor in the city's history.

Early Life and Education

William Johnson grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia. He went to Howard University. There, he earned two degrees in Political Science. He got his first degree in 1965 and his second in 1967.

After college, he moved to Flint, Michigan. He worked at Mott Community College and the Flint Urban League. In 1972, he moved to Rochester, New York.

Career Highlights

Before becoming mayor, William Johnson worked for 21 years. He was the President and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester. This organization helps people in the community. It offers programs in education, youth development, and family services. It also helps with job training and finding affordable homes. Under his leadership, the Urban League grew. It offered more programs to help the community.

Serving as Mayor of Rochester

William Johnson first entered politics in 1993. He ran for Mayor of Rochester as a Democrat. He won the Democratic primary election. Then, he won the general election with over 72 percent of the votes. He became the city's first African-American mayor. He took office on January 1, 1994.

In November 1997, he was re-elected without anyone running against him. In November 2001, he won a third term. He received over 78 percent of the votes. During that campaign, he announced he would not seek a fourth term. He left office on December 31, 2005.

Challenges and New Ideas

As mayor, Johnson faced several challenges. Rochester's population was getting smaller. The city's tax money was also decreasing. More people needed social services. There was also a high crime rate. Johnson was known for taking chances to improve the city.

He started many new programs. The Neighbors Building Neighborhoods Program helped citizens get involved in city planning. He also created Neighborhood Empowerment Teams. These teams worked with a Community Oriented Policing program. This allowed citizens to share ideas about policing. It also encouraged police and residents to work together.

In 1998, the city started the Rochester 2010 Plan. This was a long-term plan for the city's future. It was based on ideas from residents. In 2002, the city's zoning rules were updated. These rules control how land can be used. The Rochester International Jazz Festival also started in 2002. Mayor Johnson supported this festival. Even with less tax money, Rochester's finances stayed strong.

The Fast Ferry Project

Not all projects were successful. Johnson supported the Spirit of Ontario I fast ferry. This ferry was meant to travel between Rochester and Toronto. It was approved in 2001 and started in 2004. However, the ferry had many problems. It often stopped service and lost millions of dollars. The ferry's terminal building in Charlotte was named after Johnson in 2018.

In 1999, Governing Magazine named Johnson the United States' Local Public Official of the Year. In 2004, he was a finalist for the World Mayor Prize.

Johnson retired as mayor in 2005. He then became a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His successor, Robert Duffy, changed many of Johnson's programs. The ferry was shut down in 2006. The city sold the Spirit of Ontario in 2007. Programs that encouraged citizen involvement were also stopped. Community policing was replaced with a different strategy.

Other Political Efforts

In 2003, Johnson ran for Monroe County Executive. He wanted to improve the county's finances and cooperation. He did not win this election.

In 2011, Rochester had three different mayors in a short time. Johnson ran for mayor again in a special election. He wanted to finish the term of Robert Duffy, who had resigned. Johnson ran as a candidate for the Independence Party and the Working Families Party. He lost to Democrat Tom Richards. However, Johnson received more votes than any previous candidate on the Working Family Party's ticket in New York State.